Issue Issue 9898 October October 2015 2015
From the Courtyard
sac scouts newsletter
From the Courtyard feature of the month
SUPPORTING HOSPICE MALTA
What’s on 14-15 Nov. Operation HMS Bulwark Shield
AGSL Mark Borg was in charge of organizing the group to help out Hospice Malta in their fund raising effort. A jolly good job was done with all the sections pitching in and gathering quite a hefty sum which all went for a good cause. Around the 10th of October of each year, Hospices Worldwide celebrate World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. This takes place to increase the awareness of Hospice services and Palliative Care worldwide. The aim of palliative Care is to alleviate the pain and other symptoms of persons suffering from cancer, motor neurone disease and other illnesses. Through Palliative Care the inter‐ disciplinary teams also strive to improve the quality of life of the patients, as well as support their families who would be passing from a difficult time. Locally, these services are offered by Hospice Malta, which for the last 26 years has been promoting Palliative Care and extending its services even to end‐of‐life cardiac, respiratory and renal diseases. In 2014, 1017 patients together with their families received Hospice services. Presently Hospice receives an average of 50 new referrals each month. Visits by the professional team to patients and families amount to over 7000 per year. Hospice services are all provided free of charge through an inter‐disciplinary team of professionals with the support of volunteers. Like previous years, Hospice Malta organised World Hospice and Palliative Care Week on a larger scale. Their aim was to be present in various localities around Malta, especially in the weekend of the 10th and 11th October, near as many Churches as possible. Our scout group was also there to support this worthy cause by helping out in this fund raising initiative over weekend at the Basilica of St. Helena and San Guzepp Haddiem in Birkirkara. Around 67 members helped out during the weekend carrying collection tins and handing out flowers and bookmarks as a token of appreciation. This was a worthy cause we felt we needed to be part
From the Courtyard
SUPPORTING HOSPICE MALTA
Issue 98 October 2015
Feature of the Month
of and gave our scout group the opportunity to support the local community in yet another way. It was a fantastic and rewarding experience for us to be able to do our part and thank Hospice for the wonderful service they do with the community.
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From the Courtyard
GSL’s note
Issue 98 October 2015
October – A significant month October has been a relatively quiet month activity wise. We have completed some tasks at HQ but did not get everything done according to plan due to delays by third parties over whom we have no control unfortunately. As a Group we helped the Hospice movement Collect funds during the weekend 10-11th October and I am proud to say we collected around €1,500 within a few hours of community service. Well done to all members that attended.
GSL’s note
On October 16th , our Group celebrated it’s 99th Anniversary, a date of significance which I am sure most members did not appreciate. For those of you who are not aware about the beginning of our Scout Group and the key persons responsible for setting it up below please find some information we had prepared some years back to serve as a reminder. Most of it had been prepared by former GSL John A Mizzi (Cubbie). In 1916 the world was at war and in Malta various emergency hospitals were treating the thousand of British and Anzac casualties of the Anglo-French forces which had been defeated on the Gallipoli peninsula. The sight of the convalescent soldiers in the streets, the many funerals and the many hospital-ships in Grand Harbour and Marsamxett, together with many survivors of various merchant-ships sunk by German and Austrian submarines in the proximity of Malta, had brought home the realities of war. There was some opposition when the rector, Father Vincent Sammut, told parents that a Scout Troop was being formed in the college. At that time there was also antagonism against the Scout Movement from the clergy who thought membership of this English organisation would influence the boys in favour of Protestantism, a view which the Archbishop Mgr. Dom Maurus Caruana did not support. So it was with a certain amount of courage that the College Jesuits embraced the Movement, the first religious body in Malta to do so, and in a private school where the children of the island’s prominent personalities were either boarders or day-boarders. At the annual prize-giving ceremony, shortly before the investiture of the first Scouts, the Prefect of Studies, Fr. J. Grech, in his speech told the audience of parents and students and the Governor, Lord Methuen and Lady Methuen: A notable innovation was introduced this year in our programme. Many parents and friends suggested the idea of having a Boy Scout Troop in our college. We agreed to that idea under the condition that the Scout training should not interfere with the studies of our boys. This having been settled, on October 9, Mr. Fisher, Assistant Scout Commissioner, had an interview with the Superiors in order to arrange the various details concerning the matter. On October 22 Lieutenant J. St. Leger Bunnett helped our scoutmaster, Mr. A.E. Green, in examining those boys who had obtained permission from their parents to join the troop; and on November 5 the first enrolment of 32 boys took place. On November 19 in the presence of Mr. Fisher and other gentlemen the boys appeared in their smart uniform and made the threefold promise: “to be loyal to God and to the King, to help others and to obey the Scout law”. Before the conclusion of the ceremony Mr. Fisher said a few words about the scope of this institution which were intended especially to remove the false and prevailing idea that Scouting has 3
From the Courtyard
GSL’s note
Issue 98 October 2015
something to do with soldiering. This subject was thoroughly explained in a letter from the same gentleman, which was published in the last number of our magazine. Another enrolment of 22 boys took place on November 19 under the presidency of His Honour, Mr. E.Bonavia, Acting Lieutenant Governor and Chief Secretary to the Government, Addressing the boys he said that he was quite pleased with their sound condition of health, with their pluck and gait, and that he felt flattered at being asked to perform for the first time the function of Scout Commissioner in our college. Recently he presented our boys with a beautiful bugle, the arrival of which excited no little commotion in the playground. For this favour we tender to him our hearty thanks; and we must also thank Colonel A. Briffa for having presented two flag poles with the fleur-de-lis, and allowing the Militia Band to play this afternoon.
GSL’s note
On November 25 our troop attended a rally in Valletta, which was inspected by General Hunter Blair. We heard that our troop was highly complimented by many on its marching and discipline after so short a period of training. This, of course, is very gratifying and reflects great credit upon the untiring energies of Mr. Green. Our boys feel very proud to-day in seeing amongst them the Chief Scout of the island, His Excellency the Governor, who by his noble example encourages them in the formation of their character, in addition to their literary education within the school. Let us hope that by teaching our boys chivalry, thrift, patriotism and the rules of health they will prepare themselves for their contact with the world, for, as was well said by Lord Armstrong “A man’s success in life depends incomparably more upon his capacity for useful action, than upon his acquirements in knowledge, and the education of the young should therefore be directed to the development of faculties and valuable qualities rather than to the mere acquisition of knowledge” His Excellency replying, expressed the pleasure it gave himself and Lady Methuen to be present on that occasion, and his satisfaction at seeing the innovation of the Commercial Class and of the Boy Scouts. He welcomed the former because it was of such paramount importance in these days of competition. With regard to the latter, he said, the Movement had his hearty and active support, and he was anxious to see before he left the island, many hundreds of Maltese boys in the ranks. His Excellency afterwards inspected the College Scouts in the Recreation Ground and handed to the Troop the silk Union Jack of the Troop Flag, He addressed a few words to the boys, complimenting them on their smart appearance and encouraged them to do their duty as members of the great brotherhood of Boy Scouts. The boys afterwards marched past to the strains of a march played by the band of the 2nd Bn. K.O.M.R.M by kind permission of Colonel A. Briffa and the officers. This was the start of nearly ten decades of progress and endeavour which has made the College Scout Group one of the leading youth bodies on the island, numbering among its former members many hundreds who owe to their Scouting a great debt for their successes in many fields, and numbering leaders in al walks of life, including two Presidents of Malta.
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From the Courtyard
GSL’s note
Issue 98 October 2015
From The Courtyard Newsletter Finally, another anniversary which many would not recall is that our newsletter is now 10 years old. We have been at it since August 2005, with the first issue begin called “The Core” as it mainly focused on the Troop. As from the following month September 2005, it was renamed “The Courtyard” to incorporate all sections and reflect the fact that most of what we do origi‐ nates within the four walls of the Group’s courtyard.
GSL’s note
We are now at issue 98 and the next one, November-December will be issue 99. Is it mere coincidence that the January 2016 issue will be issue 100 coinciding with our 100 years anniversary? I must thank the co-ordinators of this newsletter who helped me keep it going , namely Edward Caruana at the beginning and for the most part and recent years Edward Sciberras and Andre Brincat. It is a thankless job but it keeps a record of our Group’s history which I am sure will be appreciated by future generations of scouts.
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From the Courtyard
MEET THE PACK LEADERS
Issue 98 October 2015
Our Cub Pack has had two recent additions to its Leaders’ cadre. This month we meet Martina Brincat who, although still very young seems determined to leave an impact on the cubs’ time in the Pack.
From the Pack
I was part of the Swieqi Girl Guides for some years but had to leave for Olevels. In a way, I'm grateful for my decision because I would have never joined the SAC Scout Group. Their vast activities, energetic atmosphere and bubbly members are well suited to my personality. Apart from being high-spirited, I also like to relax to some jazz, television series and reading a good book. However that's not the only reading I do, I'm also a full time student studying ACCA with a private audit firm. I like to spend their stipend on online shopping, going out with friends and new adventures.
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From the Courtyard
MANI’S TOP 10 HIKING TIPS
Issue 98 October 2015
From the Troop
Scouts should heed these tips by SL Bernard Maniscalco if they want to survive the HMS Bulwark Shield Competition…
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Travel light. This is a golden rule when hiking especially when it comes to long distances. It is imperative that the hiker carries the essential items only. Appropriate footwear. The key here is avoiding the dreaded blisters. Many hiking shoes and boots are available at reasonable prices these days, however make sure to break the shoe first. This will take at least two weeks of usage. Football shoes are not ideal for hiking. 2-sock rule. Same as the previous point, wearing to socks will reduce friction on the skin hence lessen the chances of getting a blister. Hydration. Walking for long distances will lead to sweating and hence dehydration. The body looses salts and minerals which have to be replaced by the consumption of water. Drink often to stay hydrated. Carry enough water for the day and your pack will get lighter as the day wears on. Energy. Although stopping for meals is a must during long walks, having a very light snack on the go will serve as an energy boost. Chocolate, raisins and nuts are great source of Carbohydrates which will keep you moving. Keep a small amount of surplus food ready, just in case. Good night sleep. It is imperative that you get a good night sleep, hence make sure that your shelter is adequately set up and your bedding is appropriate for the type of weather. Moreover, it is highly recommended to sleep barefoot. Your feet will need some air after whole day of walking! Stay positive. One of the most overlooked problems, is that of the mental strain the hiker endures during his journey. Engaging in conversation with your mates or singing a couple of campfire songs en route will definitely help you out. Follow the country and highway code. If the hiker follows the code, he will be at ease and can focus more on his route. Rucksack Size. It’s understandable that parents might want their son to just wear Dad's rucksack – it’s a lot cheaper that way. But it's equally understandable that the son may never want to go hiking again if that pack didn't fit. It's important that the rucksack is reasonably sized to the one wearing it, in terms of capacity, torso length and hip belt sizes. Take a Break. A break of ten minutes helps remove the metabolic waste products that build up in your legs while hiking. Take a break at least every hour. Sit down and prop your legs up. Eat some food, drink some fluids, and take this time to enjoy and appreciate the view…if there is one. These efficient breaks can recharge your batteries. In the long run, breaks will not slow you down.
From the Courtyard
VENTURES GET BUSY
Issue 98 October 2015
VSL Andre brings us up to date with the Unit’s doings. Although it’s been a quiet month, there has been much back office work going on planning events for the coming two months. Now that school has started again our Ventures will be confronted with a few challenges for the coming year. Best wishes of good luck go to the Ventures who this year have started Form 5 and who later on this year will be sitting for their O-Levels. The other Ventures have now started their first year of Sixth Form, this is a very different environment to what they might be used to in secondary school, so Go For it Guys, make the best of these two years! The Venture Unit has participated in the John A Mizzi Cup which has re started this year. We all thoroughly enjoyed the Combat Archery session and despite the divergences with our opponents we still had a good time trying out this new skill .
From the Unit
The Unit also dedicated some time to help out during the Hospice movement collection weekend. Although it only involved carrying the donations cans we know it was for a good cause and did it with pleasure.
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In preparation for the upcoming Bulwark Shield, the Venture unit has been brushing up on their Mapwork skills with lectures and field exercises. This will be followed by further training in First aid , survival skills and pioneering so as to keep up our Group’s good standards of scouting skills. The Unit has also re started the schedule of monthly Wednesday activities. For the Month of October, Nigel Grech organised a pioneering exercise which involved building a free standing rope bridge. Although limited by the 2 hour meeting time, the unit all mucked in to get the job done. The ventures also appreciated the importance of accuracy in pioneering, whereby for the first time they used tools such as a scale model, diagrams and a measuring tape to ensure the planned construction would be successful.
From the Courtyard
ST MARTIN’S COLLEGE RAFTING
Issue 98 October 2015
David Pace from the Rover Crew took part in our most recent fund raising activity which wil help us reach our target of the ‘room next door’ . As most of you may know, the group is undertaking a number of ambitious HQ renovating projects this year and thus a number of fund raising events are being held every year in order to be able to accomplish such projects. Thus upon their request, the SAC Rover crew once again organised a team building event for the St. Martins College first year sixth formers. This has almost become an annual event for the crew. However this year it was to serve as an experiment as we attempted to increase the number of activities in which the new sixth formers could take part in. In order to be able to cater for the increase in activities and also the number of students, 7 rovers and 3 ventures were at HQ at an ungodly hour on Friday 26th September in order to help load the truck. The plan was to arrive at Mistra bay before the students arrived in order to be able to
From the Crew
prepare for their arrival. Each member was assigned different responsabilites. Thus upon arrival the truck was unloaded and the equipment distributed according to the activity it was needed for. As always the main part of the programme involved the sixth formers being split into 4 teams, and they build a raft each and then hold a small rafting competition between themselves. Andrew Agius and Gabriel Rizzo were put in charge of instructing the students on how to do so. The other half of the students were kept busy by Liam Curmi De Gray, Matthew Zammit, and the ventures who organised a set of command tasks for them. These are generally challenging games which require some careful thought to get to the solution and a lot of teamwork and co-ordination. Whilst the students were kept busy with their respective tasks, we were also preparing their lunch which consisted of a bbq with burgers and sausages with a number of salads to choose from. By 12.30 lunch was ready and so were the students and thus everyone stopped for a hearty lunch. After lunch the two student groups switched activities with the ones previously doing rafting now attempting the command tasks and vice versa. By 4pm all the students had completed the tasks set for them and started dismantling and the BBQ and serving tables along with all the kitchen related equipment were also cleaned up. Thus the truck was loaded we returned to HQ to clean and put away the equipment. The Crew then held a small evalutation session about the activity and concluded that the event was a success and that the addition of lunch and command tasks to the usual programme should be something to be repeated as it provided for a much more satisfying day.
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From the Courtyard
JOHN A. MIZZI CUP
Issue 98 October 2015
Rover Scout Matthew Zammit, tells us a fantasy laden immaginary account about what happened during the recent John A. Mizzi Cup contest between Ventures and Rovers. The Editor insists one takes this as a fictional account and does not believe any of what is written about the Ventre Unit’s behaviour!
From the Crew
As a quick introduction, it should be said that the John A. Mizzi Cup is an annual competition held on Cubbie’s birthday, between the SAC Rover Crew and Venture Unit, with a different sport or activity being selected alternately every year. Unfortunately due to the passing away of Cubbie this activity had not taken place in the last couple of years, but this year it was reinstated to the program and the choice of activity was left to the members of the Unit, who after much deliberation and the consideration of a wide array of proposals, decided that this year’s challenge would be that of combat archery. The date was accordingly set for Sunday, the 4th of October at the Combat Archery facility at Ħal-Lija. To the surprise of many (including themselves), the majority of the Rover Crew was the first to turn up, and as the members of the Venture Unit gradually trickled in we set off towards the facility, a couple of minutes’ walk away. Upon our arrival we were confronted with a rather alarming-looking set of bows and arrows, although it must be said that the large ball-shaped piece of foam at the end of each arrow did much to alleviate our concerns as to whether the same number of us that walked in would be able to walk back out. First off the instructor gave us a quick demonstration as to how to shoot the arrows with more chance of hitting someone on the opposing team rather than someone on our own (although it must be said that whoever the arrows flew towards, the chance of hitting was horrifically low at the start, but rapid improvement was soon witnessed by both sides). Our first activity then followed, a simple one in which we split up into two teams (Rovers vs. Ventures, naturally) and proceeded to shoot arrows rather ineffectually at one another from across the small field in which the activity was taking place. Initial trial and error taught as much, the most important lesson of all being to instil in us a far greater respect of the events as Agincourt, Crecy and Poitiers, were it is said that some of the English archers could shoot through the vision slits of the French knights’ helmets. We, on the other hand, would have been unlikely to hit the horse such knight would have been riding on, or indeed either of its companions on its sides. However, we would soon have the chance to improve in our endeavours. The next series of games would involve capture-the-flag, whereby the flag (which, in our case, bore a remarkable resemblance to half a fishing rod), would be placed in the centre of the battleground, with each team having the task to get the flag back to their side of the field. The rules would be that if an arrow hit any of one’s limbs, that limb would be rendered useless
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From the Courtyard
JOHN A. MIZZI CUP
Issue 98 October 2015
for the rest of the round, and a hit to the head or torso would render one ‘dead’ for that particular round. At this point it should be said that the Rover and Venture Crews took on wildly differing strategies to this game. The Ventures, having planned the activity, had also clearly taken it upon themselves to carry out some background reading on the subject of warfare. Sun Tzu’s Art of War was clearly a favourite, and the Venture Crew seems to have completely agreed with his analysis that ‘all warfare is based on deception’. Indeed it became quite miraculous how hits to limbs were constantly dodged and hits to the chest and head area were shrugged off as little more than superficial wounds.
From the Crew
On the other hand, the Rover Crew, coming from the (very slightly) older school of chivalry and honour, fought according to the rules, with the end result that after ten to fifteen minutes of desperate combat they resembled a collection of cripples, with arms and legs being in various cases rendered useless through ‘hits’ from arrows.
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Three rounds of ‘Capture the Flag’ were played out between the Rovers and Ventures, with the final score ending 2-1 respectively, courtesy of a stunning run by Rover Liam Curmi de Gray, who having both his arms made useless through ‘hits’ kicked the broken fishing pole (or to be more politically correct, flag) to the Rover side. Other games were then played out, including simple team deathmatches and free-for-alls, where in the latter the Rovers also ended up battling it out between themselves for the ultimate victor. Further challenges such as a limited arrow supply and a scattering of arrows around the battleground were implemented, adding a further layer of tactics and strategy to be used on either team’s part. After nearly two hours of various archery related activities and further competitions, it was time to call it a day and retire from the field of combat, with the Rovers deservedly winning the overall contest by a final score of 3-2, and thus being awarded the John A. Mizzi Cup for this year.